March 9, 2009
See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no “root of bitterness” springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled.
--Hebrews 12:15
We’ve all been hurt or mistreated by others. It’s part of life. And the truth is, we can’t change the past. And it does no good to ask “Why?” All we can do is move forward.
Yet one of the things that holds most people from moving on from hurts in life is unforgiveness.
If your heart has been broken, but you want to get on with your life today, you must forgive. You can never fully realize the grace of God in your own life if you are harboring hate, bitterness, resentment, or pain from your past.
But what if you don’t forgive? Today we’ll look at the consequences of unforgiveness. And tomorrow we’ll see how you can begin the process of forgiveness.
The first consequence of unforgiveness is that it will contaminate your personality with bitterness.
It’s like a weed that grows out of control in your life. When you become bitter, you become negative and critical. Anger and resentfulness can grow unchecked, and before you even realize it, joy and happiness has been choked out of your life.
If left unchecked, unforgiveness will devour your relationships and jeopardize your future. Bitterness can spread to your marriage and be passed along to your children from generation to generation. Worst of all, unforgiveness can rob you of a growing relationship with God.
YOU CAN NEVER FULLY REALIZE THE GRACE OF GOD IN YOUR OWN LIFE IF YOU ARE HARBORING BITTERNESS FROM YOUR PAST.
